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Gilman defensive tackle Ellison Jordan may be only a 2016 prospect, but he already has picked up offers from Michigan State, Virginia Tech and Maryland. The Terps were the most recent, pulling the trigger last month.

Jordan said Maryland's academics will play a big factor for him going forward.

“I heard it from my football coach that Maryland offered, and I was really blessed and excited that Maryland had offered me,” said the 6-foot, 255-pound recruit. “The next day was their Junior Day, and I was invited to it, too.”

The standout sophomore made his way up to College Park, where he met with the coaching staff, who told him that the offer was legitimate and that they were very interested.

“I talked to coach [Andre] Powell, coach [Mike] Locksley, and I talked to and met the new defensive line coach, Chad Wilt,” he said. “And I sat one-on-one with Randy Edsall[, who] was there. They were just pleased about the way I played on film, and we also talked about the academic [side] of Maryland. … I had a really fun time.”

The emphasis on school was one of the biggest draws for Jordan, who stressed how much of an impact that part of the trip had on him.

“The academics there were outstanding,” he said. “I knew that their academics were good, but when I met the academic counselors, they explained and showed how Maryland is one of the top public colleges in the country, and their communications major is one of the top majors in the country. I was really surprised and pleased with the academics that Maryland was talking about.”

The program's success in recruiting some of the top local prospects also has caught his attention.

“Maryland also has good football recruiting with getting guys like Will Ulmer, Jesse Aniebonam and Damian Prince,” he said. “Plus, with them moving to the Big Ten — probably the second- or first-best conference — it is really showing how Maryland could become an elite team in the future.”

Up next for Jordan is another potential trip to Maryland, as he's eyeing a stop in College Park on March 28. He is also looking at visits to Virginia Tech, Michigan State and Penn State, but nothing has been set at this time.

It’s still too early for favorites or leaders, but Jordan did say the Terps are in a good position at the moment.

“When I went to Maryland, I really liked the place, and they will definitely be one of my top school that I will consider," he said.

The Big Ten Conference released a list of 11 players to watch in the upcoming football season Thursday. A select media panel voted for five players in the East and West division with the West garnering six players because of a tie.

ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla has spent a lot of time in the past month observing Maryland point guard Melo Trimble, first when they were together at Stephen Curry’s summer camp in California and now at the Pan American Games in Canada.

Melo Trimble’s first game as a member of the U.S. team at the Pan American Games in Toronto was a reminder of how young he really is. One thing you can say about Trimble’s nearly 13-minute stint in a slow-starting 85-62 victory over Venezuela: he wasn’t the only college player who appeared a bit...